The increasing popularity of computers and networking allows users to interact in a wide variety of ways that were not previously available. Computers joined in a network permit users to access data and interact in a common environment. For example, users can share data, collaborate, communicate, and so on with other users that have computers within the network.
Due to computers' ability to interact in many different ways and share data, managing computer networks can be a difficult task. Often times, network managers attempt to balance a network's “openness” with security concerns. In addition to potential theft or destruction of data, if computer and network security consume a large amount of the network's processing resources, users may miss out on wide range of benefits provided by networked computers. To address security concerns, users are assigned user names and passwords to access resources, such as computers, drives, and so on in the network.
For many organizations, much of the organization's overall productivity and economic assets are tied to its computer network and associated data. Accordingly, inefficient computer and/or network security may have a large impact on productivity and/or the economic value of an organization.